Abstract: A circuit including: an optical detector for detecting an optical pulse and generating therefrom a current pulse on an output; a pulse detector circuit having an input electrically connected to the optical detector and having an output for outputting a detection pulse in response to detecting the current pulse on its input, said pulse detector circuit including: a resettable amplifier including an input for receiving the current pulse from the optical detector, a reset terminal for resetting the amplifier after the amplifier detects the current pulse on its input, and an output for outputting a signal from which the detection pulse is derived; and a reset delay chain feeding back to the reset terminal of the resettable amplifier a feedback signal derived from the output signal of the resettable amplifier.

Abstract: An optical signal distribution network including a semiconductor substrate including a waveguide formed therein to carry an optical signal; and a plurality of detectors within the waveguide and serially arranged along its length, each of the detectors being capable of detecting the optical signal passing through it and sufficiently transparent to the optical signal to enable the optical signal to reach and be detected by all of the plurality of detectors.

Abstract: A method involving: distributing two clock signals over a clock signal distribution system; in each of a plurality local clocking regions located along the signal distribution system, detecting the two clock signals and generating therefrom a local clock signal for that local clocking region, wherein the generated local clock signals for at least some of the plurality of local clocking regions are in a first group all of which are aligned in phase with each other and the generated local clock signals for the remainder of the plurality of local clocking regions are in a second group all of which are aligned in phase with each other, and wherein the phase of the first group is out of phase with the phase of the second group by a predetermined amount; and bringing all of the clock signals for the plurality of local clocking regions into phase alignment so that the phase of the first group is in phase with the phase of the second group.

Abstract: The method involves detecting a first signal characterized by a periodically occurring first event, detecting a second signal characterized by a periodically occurring second event, and based on both the detected first and second signals, generating a third signal characterized by a periodically occurring third event. The method also involves automatically adjusting the phase of the third signal so that the periodically occurring third event occurs at a predetermined location between the first and second events of the first and second signals.

Abstract: The invention is embodied in a coil antenna for radiating RF power supplied by an RF source into a vacuum chamber of an inductively coupled plasma reactor which processes a semiconductor wafer in the vacuum chamber, the reactor having a gas supply inlet for supplying processing gases into the vacuum chamber, the coil antenna including plural concentric spiral conductive windings, each of the windings having an interior end near an apex of a spiral of the winding and an outer end at a periphery of the spiral of the winding, and a common terminal connected to the interior ends of the plural concentric spiral windings, the RF power source being connected across the terminal and the outer end of each one of the windings.

Abstract: A method of precleaning a wafer including the steps of placing the wafer in a plasma chamber; flowing a gas into the plasma chamber; establishing a plasma in the chamber at a first pressure; after establishing the plasma, plasma etching the wafer at the first pressure for a first period of time; transitioning to a second pressure that is different from the first pressure; plasma etching the wafer at the second pressure for a second period of time; and after the second period of time has elapsed, discontinuing plasma etching at the second pressure.

Abstract: A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a target onto a wafer, the system including a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the wafer during plasma processing; a source onto which the target is mounted and for generating a plasma in the chamber during operation; an equipotential conductive plane dividing the chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the wafer is located, the equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from the target to pass therethrough; and an upper antenna located inside the upper cavity and surrounding the plasma, the upper antenna for coupling RF power into the source-generated plasma.

Abstract: The disclosure discusses impedance matching circuits based on parallel-resonant L-C tank circuits, and describes a low-loss design for an adjustable inductance element suitable for use in these parallel tank circuits. The application of an impedance matching circuit to a plasma process is also disclosed; in this context, a local impedance transformation circuit is used to improve power transfer to the plasma source antenna.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck for holding an article to be processed in a plasma reaction chamber and comprising a metal pedestal coated with a layer of dielectric material in which is formed a cooling gas distribution system for passing and distributing a cooling gas between the upper surface of the layer and the article when supported on the pedestal. The gas distribution system comprises a plurality of intersecting grooves formed entirely in the upper surface of the layer with small gas distribution holes through intersections of the grooves over upper ends of cooling gas receiving holes formed in an underside of the pedestal.